Pandemic. Social unrest. Recession. We are living in some very trying times. Or are we? How you perceive and react to all these things will shape your reality and how you respond to them in terms of running your roofing company. As to the times we’re living in — they’ve never really been perfect, have they?

Clearly you must keep up with current events and changes in laws and the various regulations being continuously altered to address the pandemic. But if you find yourself spending an inordinate amount of time focusing on COVID-19 and its ramifications on your business, it may be time to simply take a deep breath and consider a few basic facts. For example, most of what’s happening in the world is out of your control.

Focusing exclusively on the things that you can control in your business will give you the time and energy to remain on the growth track you’ve experienced over the past decade. It’s a natural thing to be concerned about the state of the world around you, but the amount of awful news being dispensed these days can fill your mind with a sense of dread. It can create havoc with your emotions and, worst of all, it can steal time that you should be using to deal with the things you can control in your life and business. 

I’m not advocating for a complete disconnect from the news of the world. It’s important for your business to keep an eye on what the government is doing in response to the economy and other concerns. I am, however, advocating for “compartmentalizing” it as much as you can. Make a time during the day or evening to catch up on current affairs and leave the rest of the day open for the work of running your business without distraction. 

If you find yourself making decisions based on some passing news story, make it a practice to hesitate. Step back and run it through the filter one more time. Does this fit into the appropriate plans for the business, or is this simply a reaction to a passing trend or set of events? Distractions, no matter what form they happen to take, are just black holes into which time, energy, and money disappear, never to return.  

The good news between the lines of all the bad news is that the playing field is level. No matter if your shop consists of two people or two crews, or 20 crews or 20 branch locations; you’re all trading in the same economy during the same pandemic. All the challenges you’re facing are having the same impact on your competition. How you choose to deal with it is what will set you apart. And when it comes to sales, there is great value in setting yourself apart and having the ability to communicate it to your potential clients. 

Before the first quarter of 2020, your roofing business was part of the greatest specialty trade in the construction industry. You were trading with the strongest currency there has ever been. You were operating your business in the greatest nation on the planet with a centuries-long history of prosperity. Do not forget that you still are.